Question 1

Where is my journal data stored?

Accepted Answer

Your journal data is stored in the cloud storage provider you choose — Google Drive, Dropbox, or Nextcloud. OwnJournal never stores your entries on our servers. All data is encrypted on your device before being uploaded to your chosen storage.

Question 2

Can I use OwnJournal offline?

Accepted Answer

Yes! OwnJournal works fully offline. Your entries are stored locally on your device and automatically sync to your cloud storage when you're back online.

Question 3

How many devices can I use?

Accepted Answer

You can use OwnJournal on as many devices as you want. Your encrypted journal syncs across all your devices through your cloud storage provider.

Question 4

What platforms is OwnJournal available on?

Accepted Answer

OwnJournal is available on iOS, Android, Web, and Desktop (Windows, macOS, Linux). Your journal syncs seamlessly across all platforms.

Question 5

How does end-to-end encryption work?

Accepted Answer

When you write a journal entry, it's encrypted on your device using AES-256-GCM encryption before being saved or synced. The encryption key is derived from your password and never leaves your device. This means only you can read your entries — not us, not your cloud provider, no one else.

Question 6

What if I forget my encryption password?

Accepted Answer

Because we use true end-to-end encryption, we cannot recover your password or decrypt your entries. We recommend using a password manager and keeping a secure backup of your password. This is a security feature — it ensures no one else can ever access your data.

Question 7

What is zero-knowledge architecture?

Accepted Answer

Zero-knowledge means we have no ability to access your data. Your entries are encrypted before they leave your device, and the encryption keys are derived from your password which we never see. Even if someone demanded access to your data, we couldn't provide it.

Question 8

Can OwnJournal read my journal entries?

Accepted Answer

No. Your entries are encrypted with keys that only exist on your devices. We never see your password or encryption keys. It's technically impossible for us to read your data.

Question 9

What's included in the Free plan?

Accepted Answer

The Free plan includes unlimited journal entries, end-to-end encryption, multi-device sync, offline access, markdown formatting, tags, emoji mood tracking, activity tagging, mood calendar heatmap, mood statistics and streaks, photo memories, cloud sync with Google Drive/Dropbox/Nextcloud, and JSON backup export.

Question 10

What does the Plus plan add?

Accepted Answer

Plus adds AI-powered features: mood and theme analysis, smart title and tag suggestions, trend analysis over time, Activity Insights (showing which activities correlate with better or worse moods), and PDF and Word export. It's $19.99/year (~$1.67/month).

Question 11

Can I cancel my Plus subscription?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can cancel anytime. You'll keep Plus access until the end of your billing period, then revert to the Free plan with all your data intact. No data is ever deleted.

Question 12

Is there a refund policy?

Accepted Answer

If you're not satisfied with Plus, contact us within 14 days of purchase for a full refund. No questions asked.

Question 13

Can I switch cloud storage providers?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can switch providers at any time. Export your data from one provider and import it to another. Your encryption key works across all providers.

Question 14

What encryption algorithm do you use?

Accepted Answer

We use AES-256-GCM for entry encryption. Your encryption key is derived from your password using PBKDF2 with over 100,000 iterations. This is the same level of encryption used by banks and governments.

Question 15

Can I export my data?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can export all your data anytime. Free users can export to JSON format. Plus users can also export to PDF and Word documents.

Question 16

Is OwnJournal open source?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The complete OwnJournal codebase is open source under the AGPL-3.0 license. You can review the code, verify our privacy claims, and contribute on GitHub.

Question 17

How does the mood tracker work?

Accepted Answer

Every journal entry has a 5-level emoji mood picker: Great, Good, Okay, Poor, and Terrible. Your mood is displayed as a colored badge on each entry and can be used to filter your timeline.

Question 18

What is activity tagging?

Accepted Answer

Activity tagging lets you record what you were doing when you wrote each entry. Choose from 15 predefined activities like Exercise, Reading, Meditation, and Social — or create your own custom activities. Activities are filterable in the timeline alongside mood and tag filters.

Question 19

What does the mood calendar show?

Accepted Answer

The mood calendar is a month-view heatmap where each day is colored by your mood. Days with multiple entries show the average mood. You can navigate between months to spot patterns over time.

Question 20

What mood statistics are available?

Accepted Answer

The mood statistics dashboard shows your mood distribution as a donut chart, mood trends over time with a 7-day rolling average, your best and worst days of the week, and current and longest mood streaks. You can filter by date range: last 30 days, 90 days, this year, or all time.

Question 21

What is Activity Insights?

Accepted Answer

Activity Insights is a Plus feature that shows which activities correlate with better or worse moods. It computes the average mood difference for each activity compared to your overall average, helping you understand what boosts or drains your mood.

Question 22

How does the AI analysis work?

Accepted Answer

When you enable AI features, your entries are temporarily decrypted on your device and sent securely to our AI service for analysis. The AI identifies mood patterns, themes, and sentiment. Results are returned to your device and the AI never stores your content.

Question 23

Is my data used to train AI models?

Accepted Answer

No. Your journal entries are never used to train AI models. Analysis happens in real-time and your content is immediately discarded after processing.

Question 24

Can I use AI features with self-hosted storage?

Accepted Answer

Yes, AI features work with any storage provider including self-hosted Nextcloud. The AI processing is separate from where your data is stored.

Question 25

What AI do you use?

Accepted Answer

We use advanced language models for analysis, optimized for understanding emotions, themes, and personal reflection. Your privacy is protected throughout the process.

Frequently asked questions

Getting Started

Privacy & Security

Pricing & Billing

Technical Questions

Mood & Activity Tracking

AI Features

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